Well my guest once again today is Jennifer Don, and this time we have the most apt post for what I write about here – she’s talking about wolves, and the way they have directed her life towards writing. Let’s see what she has to say about the mysterious guides, who appear when we need them, only to fade away to wait until we next call for them…

Wolves, my muse and lifelong inspiration

I cannot begin to tell you how much the Wolf has influenced my life. I’ve been fascinated with them for as long as I can remember and considering I’m 25, that’s a fairly long time in my world. But there is more to it than just sheer Childhood fascination and this is where it becomes harder to write about, without sounding like a lunatic. I’ve questioned long and hard over whether to state why or not, but I find it is always better to be honest not only to self but with others too.

For those that don’t know me, I am a firm believer in knowledge or belief that for each of us an animal in the spirit world will walk with us as and when it is needed. They will teach us aspects of ourselves and help us to see what we may not have done. I understand this can be rather had for people to see, but these are my beliefs. These animals are known as Animal Totems, very common with the Native Americans. They are also known as Animal Guides and for me, I constantly see that of a white wolf in my mind’s eye. You could say he is my muse, my soul and my inspiration that drives my determination to keep going. Such is the power that he bestows in my mind, that he even made is as far as to star in my novel – Timber Varden which is still undergoing extensive edits.

But never mind that for the moment, it deviates from the subject at hand. I bet your wondering – how can a wolf become a muse to a writer? Well I don’t see the wolf like most people do; they see the wild side, the killer. Whereas I see below the surface, I see the wisdom within the eyes. I see the passion they hold for the bonds they keep, how they protect those nearest and dearest. They may seldom like to walk off on their own, but at the heart of matters they are predominately family orientated. The wolf has great stamina and can keep going for miles on end and while I am unable to cover such distances like them, I do have the stamina to write for hours on end.

Through the eyes of the wolf, I have found the person that I am meant to be. It has not been and easy road but when you learn to see what it is that they wish to show you then you can see where you are meant to go. The wolf is the pathfinder in my understanding and through belief has led me to where I am now; he is the teacher and teaches what we need to learn. But that still doesn’t explain my admiration for an animal that others would sooner kill than respect. If you could have one voice, one chance to change the way just one person sees things, would you give that up and ignore the undertakings of others? I can’t. The wolf, my muse, is why I write. It is why they are mentioned in Timber Varden. And if my words, help just one person to see that the wolf is not the aggressor people think he is, then maybe one day future generations will be able to appreciate the mystical aspects of an animal that remains free. But because of human nature, anything they perceive is being a threat then to all they can to eliminate it. Over the years, Wolf numbers have declined to the point that some countries no longer have wild wolves – I pray for the day that they are re-introduced to the wild in many climates where they belong. .

Now for some questions for YOU by our guest, Jennifer Don.

She wants to know…

What animal would you say leads your muse into the fruitful woods of writing?

and

If your muse is not animal based, what would you describe them as being?
About Jennifer Don

Jennifer spent many years without daring to lift a pen, without writing a word that wasn’t forced. But 2008 arrived and with it, her love of writing. She began with poetry which quenched her thirst to begin with but soon that wasn’t enough to satisfy her. 2011 arrived with a dream to write her first novel – Awakening, which is on-going. November saw her attempt her first NaNoWriMo, and so Timber Varden was born, with the bulk of it being written within that month. Now she finds herself aiming to re-write that draft and turn it into her first published novel.

FantastIc post. Loved learning more about wolves as well as how one is a muse for you.

I don’t know that I have an image for my muse. Stories come to me and characters speak to me and even fight with each other in my head.

I do have a great affinity with a number of animals though. Moose because my mom met one face to face when pregnant with me. While others think it would be scary I always hoped when hiking to have a similar experience. Goats just make me laugh and smile, so many people mis-understand what they are really like up close and personal.

Your comment made me laugh and smile, I guess the Moose’s attributes of being bold headed and strong carried over into the person that you are Today Tasha. I could be wrong but I can really see that with you.

Goats… brings me the thought of that film – Men who stare at goats. Again I had to laugh with that one. I do agree that people mis-understand what they are really like. It’s a shame how they have such misconceptions on any animal, no matter what it’s like. My post arose in sorts for that very reason.

I really enjoyed the post and getting to know about Jennifer and her connection to wolves. I would have to say that ‘Bertha’ is my muse and inspiration but I also feel a strong connection to animals and feel that they bring us messages. I’ve always loved frogs and played with them as a child. Currently, I continually see hawks and love them, two even moved into my yard last summer.

Hawks are amazing Animals, if you understand them from the guide perspective, they represent seeing what’s around us so if you see them often it could lead to what you see clearly around you. Perhaps they make you stop and think for a moment 🙂

Its funny, but I always sort of picture a dog when I think about it… but the dog isn’t always the same. Is that strange?

Sometimes, it resembles the beagle I had as a teenager, sometimes more like a Malamute, other times its just a big ol’ drooly mutt or a perky little Pom. Either way, there is always a dog in my book and I always find that a dog’s presence in my writing (and my life) makes things… better.

What ever works right? It’s never strange to see it different or in so many forms. For many writers the muse is known to be the character of most influence from what it is that they are writing. For me it has always ever been in the form of the wolf. I know it’s an odd one to come to terms with. I mean some have asked in the past how can a wolf be a muse, how do you know what’s being put a cross? I always end up saying, well why not? If you look deep enough into the eyes you can see. If you open your mind to the muse before you, then you don’t need a voice to know the direction in which to take. He leads you… like he leads me and always has done. I was three when I first saw him, and he has never left me. Instead he has become more prominent in my life and the paths that I have chosen to walk. And there is nothing I would rather have more than what I do now. So you see, nothing is strange, to a degree.